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Tech Tip: How Can You Tell if a Head Gasket is Leaking or Has Failed? Boise ID

Depending on the application and how much labor it requires, the repair bill might run $1,500 or more for parts and labor. The parts required to replace a head gasket include not only the head gasket itself, but also all the other gaskets that have to be replaced to disassemble the top of the engine.

Boise Neighborhoods

This page also contains providers and other information for the following Boise neighborhoods: Boise Heights, Collister, West Bench, Harris Ranch, Vista and covering the following zip codes: 83705, 83703, 83704, 83716, 83705

Huskey Auto Electric Inc
(208) 345-2233
2301 Overland Road
Boise, ID
Smith Power Products
(208) 345-1500
4045 Transport Street
Boise, ID
E C Power Systems
(208) 342-6541
4499 Market Street
Boise, ID
Napa Auto Parts
(208) 344-8508
4005 W Overland Rd
Boise, ID
Napa Auto Parts
(208) 344-8544
160 N 16th St
Boise, ID
Youngs Heavy Equipment
(208) 353-7086
PO Box 5068
Boise, ID
Rogers Northside Garage
(208) 345-2660
1170 N 29th St
Boise, ID
Pro Auto Care
(208) 378-4075
2069 S Broadway Ave
Boise, ID
Transport Trailer
(208) 344-0999
4665 Enterprise Street
Boise, ID
AutoZone
(208) 331-1088
4111 West Overland Road
Boise, ID
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Tech Tip: How Can You Tell if a Head Gasket is Leaking or Has Failed?

By Larry Carley   email
Technical Editor
November 10, 2009

The first symptoms of a head gasket that is failing are usually a slow loss of coolant with no visible leaks, engine overheating and/or a Check Engine light with cylinder misfire codes.

The first symptoms of a head gasket that is failing are usually a slow loss of coolant with no visible leaks, engine overheating and/or a Check Engine light with cylinder misfire codes.

The Onboard Diagnostic II system should detect any misfires that occur due to a loss of compression or spark plugs fouled by coolant seeping into a combustion chamber. So if a vehicle has a Check Engine light on and a cylinder misfire code, the spark plug in that cylinder should be removed and inspected for coolant fouling. A compression or leak down test should also be done to see if the cylinder is losing compression. Internal coolant leaks caused by a leaky head gasket can usually be diagnosed by pressure testing the cooling system.

Regardless of the cause, a head gasket failure is bad news for the vehicle owner.

Depending on the application and how much labor it requires, the repair bill might run $1,500 or more for parts and labor. The parts required to replace a head gasket include not only the head gasket itself, but also all the other gaskets that have to be replaced to disassemble the top of the engine. This includes the intake and exhaust manifold gaskets, too, plus new cylinder head bolts if the applicat...

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